This past year, I started my college career. As a freshman, leaving home can be overwhelming enough. Add to that, new social circles, a mismatched roommate assignment and challenging classes, my mental health struggled at times. I started to isolate, overeat, and stress, but hid my emotions when my parents called to check in . Don't get me wrong, when college is fun, it's a blast, but sometimes it can be lonely, overstimulating and requires a lot of mental fortitude. During my first semester, my anxiety and the stress started to bubble up. I was crashing, and knew I couldn't hold it in. After a few tears, I realized I needed a "break", but I was in the throws of school. I took a day off from classes, and scheduled time to meet with a counselor from the school's mental health services. During our chat, I realized that sometimes you need to take "breaks", have a little cry, and give yourself some grace. I reached out to my parents and through their insurance was connected with a mental health therapist. I began journaling and taking time out for intentional, self-care. Through one of the sisterhood organizations, I started participating in weekly self-care activities and check-ins. Sometimes, those check-ins are talking about our feelings and other times is just a dance party, and both help to release what I keep bottled up inside. Now that I am back home on break, I keep a "Wellness Wednesdays" routine; I journal nightly and have started to teach my little sister journaling as she is about to start high school. I still meet virtually with my therapist and have been incorporating daily movement into my daily routine as it tends to keep my thoughts and emotions regulated as well as keep me in shape. With the wellness days and the meetings with my therapist things have been looking up, I can say that I'm no longer in that clouded mental state that I was in my freshman year. I've taken on a new job with amazing coworkers, spend more time with family and friends, and have been engaging in new opportunities such as volunteering and social events. However, this is all wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support system that I had by my side. Knowing that you have people who care for your well being is truly a blessing and I believe that everyone should have access to something like this. Mental health isn't a joke and it shouldn't be treated as such especially with young adults my age. Students face challenges every single day that I can't even imagine and still manage to show up to their classes and organizations but, what happens when that student stops showing because it became to much to bear or they cut off communication with their family and friends because they feel so alone. This is the reality for a lot of students which is why I use my platform to advocate for students to join communities that may have others who are facing similar issues allowing them to feel less alone. I use social media and chat groups to promote mental wellness and invite friends to participate in self care and group activities. I'm growing, self regulating and helping other do the same.

Everyone has some awkward thing about them, whether they recognize and embrace it or not. For me, it's self-expression in not-so-traditional places. I can't say that K-Pop is often heard on an HBCU campus, but it's blasting in my ears all the time. I enjoy the music, the dances, the artists, and everything about K-Pop fandom and have even learned about its ties to black music culture. I enjoy all music, but I was apprehensive about how I would be perceived while in an environment, like an HBCU campus, that I assumed would not embrace my dance sessions, quirky clothing or BTS posters. However, when you are already in new surroundings and a life transition such as leaving home and going to college, you have to have some way of coping with the changes. For me, that's K-Pop. Just immersing myself into the K-Pop fandom, which almost feels like a fantasy world to me, has been a great escape from the anxieties you feel when starting a new adventure. Yes, it was a little awkward at first, but doing some K-Pop dance routines in my room before studying for an exam helped me relax enough to get in the right mindset. My roommate looked at me sideways in the beginning, but now she knows a routine or two. To be honest, if the guys on campus can recite rap lyrics and gestures while music is blasting in their ears, and the girls do TikToks in the student union as a form of expression and fun, I can do my K-Pop dances, and that's what I do. Before I started at my college, I stressed about how something I enjoyed would also make me stand out when I wanted to fit in. Back in high school, the landscape was more diverse, and it was easy to find and connect with my K-pop crew. I assumed I needed to keep my fandom under wraps once starting at an HBCA, but I soon learned that I had to be me no matter the environment. Over time, students on campus started to know me as the K-Pop girl, and eventually, I learned I was not the only one. I have become more comfortable in my own skin in a new place and learned that I don't need to hide my authentic self. You will not only learn more about yourself and be true to yourself, but you will find your people in the process.

After graduating from Hampton University, I plan to pursue a career in corporate public affairs with a focus on healthcare and technology. As a political science major, I want to develop my knowledge of advocacy, policy, and strategic communications. I am passionate understanding how companies make decisions and how those decisions impact our daily lives. I choose to focus on healthcare and technology because both areas are rapidly evolving and impact our mental, physical, financial and emotional well-being and are shaping the future. Whether it is a new app that can track our health or new technology that can diagnose illnesses like cancer earlier, this is an exciting time to be engaged in these industries. It is also an important time to work with organizations to advocate for change, and challenge them on in terms of access, fairness and trust. I want to be someone who helps organizations communicate strategically, make responsible choices, consider all persons and create policies that intentionally help communities. I chose to study at an HBCU because I wanted a school that supported and challenged me. The community, comradery, networking, and campus culture are unmatched. I feel empowered being in an environment that values my history and is committed to my community through scholarship and service. At Hampton, I am building the knowledge, experience and confidence needed for my future career in public affairs while also continuing my family legacy of an HBCU education.